Should We Interpret The Bible Literally Or Figuratively?

A common question is whether or not the Bible should be taken literally or figuratively.
In many cases the answer is both. Scripture is so much more complex and richer than
most people give it credit for.

Like an onion, there are layers to scripture. The rabbis tell us there are four levels to
scripture:

1) The literal meaning

2) The hint of something deeper
3) The practical application
4) The hidden meaning of the text.

Take, for example, the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. The literal message there is
Abraham had faith and trusted God. But on a deeper level Abraham sacrificing Isaac is a
type of the crucifixion of Christ. If you study that story you find types of the Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, and the Church all represented.

The Bible contains several types of writing styles including:

1) Historical narratives
2) Poetic
3) Apocalyptic literature
4) Parables
5) Sermons

We have to consider the type of writing as well as the context, audience, and social
setting when studying Scripture.
But just because a passage may contain some allegorical elements doesn't mean there isn't
a literal meaning to the passage. While there are different layers to scripture the rule is
that a text never looses its literal meaning.

For example, in John 10:1-16 Jesus refers to Himself as a shepherd and His followers as
sheep. Is He really a shepherd? Are we really sheep? Of course not. He's simply using the
relationship between the two to effectively illustrate His point. He's using figurative
language to deliver a literal message.